Special Delivery stamps will be sold at all Money Order Post Offices in Canada, (which may secure a supply of such stamps in the same way as ordinary stamps are obtained), for which the Postmasters will have to account as they do for ordinary stamps and on the sales of which a total commission of ten per cent. shall be allowed to Postmasters, except to Postmasters having fixed salaries. For the present Postmasters will use the existing forms of requisition in applying for Special Delivery stamps. (The usual discount may be allowed to a licensed stamp vendor at the time that he purchases Special Delivery stamps from the Postmaster). Special Delivery stamps are to be cancelled as postage stamps are cancelled. Stamps intended for Special Delivery are not available for any other purpose, and the article upon which one is affixed must have, besides, the ordinary postage prepaid by postage stamps. Under no circumstances will Special Delivery stamps be recognised in payment of postage or of registration fee, nor can any other stamp be used to secure Special Delivery, except the Special Delivery stamp. Special Delivery stamps are not redeemable.
Letters intended for Special Delivery at any one of the City Post Offices above mentioned, and prepaid as directed, may be mailed at any Post Office in Canada.
The regulations relating to First Class Matter (Inland Post) apply also and equally to Special Delivery letters, the only difference being the special treatment which the latter receive with a view to accelerating their delivery.
The object sought by the establishment of Special Delivery,—namely, the special delivery of letters transmitted thereunder,—will be much promoted if the senders of all such letters are careful to address them plainly and fully, giving, if possible, the street and number in each case. Such care will serve not only to prevent mistakes, but also to facilitate delivery. All employees of the Post Office are enjoined to expedite, in every way in their power, the posting, transmission and delivery of letters intended for Special Delivery.
These special delivery stamps are distinctly different in design from the ordinary postage stamps, the reason for this being, of course, that letters intended for special delivery may be at once identified and their handling facilitated. The stamps are oblong in shape, measuring about 31 mm. by 23 mm. high. The centre consists of an engine turned oval, in the middle of which is the word TEN in uncolored block letters on a solid disc of color. Around this is an oval filled with lathe-work and then comes an oval band inscribed “SPECIAL DELIVERY WITHIN CITY LIMITS” in similar lettering to that of the word of value. This, in turn, is enclosed within another oval of lathe-work. The frame shows “CANADA POST OFFICE” in a straight label across the top, while the lower and side borders are filled with lathe-work intercepted at the bottom by a straight label containing “TEN CENTS”, and at each side by a small circle containing the numerals “10.” The spandrels are filled with conventional foliate ornaments. The value and special use of the stamp is thus plainly depicted and letters bearing them are easily sorted from the ordinary mail.
The stamps were, like all other Canadian stamps, printed from line-engraved plates. They were printed in sheets of fifty arranged in ten horizontal rows of five each. The imprint and plate number “OTTAWA——No.——1” are shown in the upper margin above the central stamp. Apparently this original plate is still in use, for no other plate number has yet been recorded.
At first the stamps were printed in deep green, but in January, 1906, the Philatelic Record mentioned a new shade, described as blue-green, and recent printings have been in a very deep shade of blue-green.
The use of these special delivery stamps, though somewhat restricted at first, soon grew steadily in volume, showing that the public appreciated the special service. The Postmaster-General in referring to this matter in his Report for 1899 says:—“The 10 cent Special Delivery stamps, to which reference was made in the last report, came into use at the beginning of the current fiscal year, simultaneously with the commencement of the Special Delivery Service, and of this stamp 52,940 were issued to meet the demands, which would go to show that the service is being availed of to a considerable extent throughout the country.”
Later Reports simply indicate the extension of the service to other offices, though the one for 1908 also concedes that the use of a Special Delivery stamp is not compulsory to secure this service so long as the extra fee of ten cents is prepaid. We read that:—